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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 180 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 180

Expressing support for the designation of April 30, 2023, as ``National 
             Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2023

 Ms. Hirono submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
        the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Expressing support for the designation of April 30, 2023, as ``National 
             Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day''.

Whereas up to 2,400,000 individuals in the United States are chronically 
        infected with hepatitis B, and up to \2/3\ of individuals with chronic 
        hepatitis B are unaware of their infection;
Whereas hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver transmitted via infected 
        blood and other bodily fluids, including through mother-to-child 
        transmission and injection drug use;
Whereas hepatitis B is associated with significant disparities among communities 
        of color (including Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and African 
        immigrants), sexual and gender minority communities, and those affected 
        by the opioid crisis;
Whereas individuals with chronic diseases, such as diabetes, HIV, hepatitis C, 
        and chronic liver disease, and individuals on hemodialysis are at an 
        increased risk for hepatitis B co-infection;
Whereas there is no cure for hepatitis B, and individuals with chronic hepatitis 
        B require lifelong medical care;
Whereas chronic hepatitis B represents 1 of the most common causes of liver 
        cancer;
Whereas 1 in every 4 individuals with unmanaged chronic hepatitis B will develop 
        liver cancer, cirrhosis, or liver failure, with liver cancer having a 5-
        year survival rate of only 18 percent in the United States;
Whereas safe and highly effective vaccines to protect against hepatitis B are 
        available;
Whereas, in accordance with universal childhood hepatitis B vaccination 
        recommendations in the United States, infants and children have been 
        routinely vaccinated against hepatitis B since the 1990s;
Whereas all adults between 19 and 59 years of age, and adults 60 and older who 
        have hepatitis B risk factors, are recommended to be vaccinated against 
        hepatitis B;
Whereas the hepatitis B vaccine, which is 95 percent effective and was the first 
        anticancer vaccine to be developed, is projected to have prevented 
        310,000,000 cases of hepatitis B worldwide from 1990 to 2020;
Whereas only 30 percent of adults in the United States are vaccinated against 
        hepatitis B;
Whereas the number of reported acute hepatitis B cases increased by 11 percent 
        nationwide from 2014 to 2018;
Whereas, as a result of the drug use epidemic, there have been significant 
        regional increases in acute hepatitis B cases in the United States, 
        including--

    (1) a reported 489 percent increase from 2015 to 2016 in Maine;

    (2) a reported 114 percent increase from 2009 to 2013 in Kentucky, West 
Virginia, and Tennessee;

    (3) a reported 78 percent increase in 2017 in southeastern 
Massachusetts; and

    (4) a reported 56 percent increase from 2014 to 2016 in North Carolina;

Whereas 36 percent of new hepatitis B cases are among individuals who inject 
        drugs;
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis 
        B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV and 5 to 10 times more 
        infectious than hepatitis C; and
Whereas there are significant opportunities, particularly with respect to the 
        drug use epidemic, to prevent new hepatitis B infections and thereby 
        reduce the incidence of liver cancer and cirrhosis through efforts to--

    (1) increase adult hepatitis B vaccination; and

    (2) maintain childhood hepatitis B vaccination: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the designation of April 30, 2023, as 
        ``National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day'';
            (2) recognizes the importance of providing support and 
        encouragement--
                    (A) for all adults to be tested for hepatitis B at 
                least once in their lifetime in accordance with 
                recommendations;
                    (B) for individuals susceptible to infection to be 
                vaccinated against hepatitis B; and
                    (C) for individuals diagnosed with hepatitis B to 
                be linked to appropriate care; and
            (3) in order to reduce the number of new hepatitis B 
        infections and hepatitis B-related deaths, encourages a 
        commitment to--
                    (A) increasing adult hepatitis B vaccination rates;
                    (B) maintaining childhood hepatitis B vaccination 
                rates; and
                    (C) promoting provider and community awareness of 
                adult hepatitis B vaccination.
                                 <all>
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